My One and Only(12)

“You got all that out of one glimpse down a hallway?”

The corner of her mouth tilted up. “The fact that you know the exact moment I’m talking about says a lot, don’t you think?”

Dammit, he’d just nailed his own tail to a tree.

“How I feel about Haleigh doesn’t matter,” he said. “That’s a dead-end road.”

“Does she have any idea?”

What would be the point of telling her? Haleigh would take it as a joke just like she had his flirting last night. And his marriage proposal thirteen years ago.

“Like I said, dead-end road.”

“But if—”

“Lorelei,” Cooper barked louder than intended and felt instant regret when she jerked in her seat. He hated the rare times his anger got the best of him. Mostly because he sounded like his father in those moments, which was not a good thing. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Just drop it, okay?”

“I shouldn’t have stuck my nose in,” she mumbled, keeping her gaze on the passing buildings.

“Hey.” He tapped her with his elbow. “I know you mean well. Really. Someday I’ll find the right girl, and maybe I’ll be half as lucky as Spencer.”

Blue eyes met his as glossy lips curled into a smile. “I hope you’re luckier, Coop. You deserve a girl way better than me.”

“Nah,” he said. “They don’t come any better than you, Lor. Though I won’t mind if she’s a little less high-maintenance.”

“Oh!” Lorelei squawked. “That’s so mean!” But she laughed through the protest. “Just for that, I’m insisting that every guy in the wedding wear a tux. With a tight bow tie!”



Haleigh arrived home shortly after five, dog-tired and bone-weary. She’d been scheduled from eight to four, but babies didn’t abide by schedules and she’d been called in by six for a difficult delivery. Never a pleasant way to start the day, but baby and mother had pulled through and were doing well.

Speaking of mother and child, before leaving the hospital, Haleigh had signed off on Jessi’s release papers, which meant Cooper would arrive any minute with her new roommates in tow. The lonely child desperate for a father had been nowhere in sight when Haleigh had checked on her patient earlier in the day, though Jessi looked even younger without the heavy eye makeup. The change in appearance had taken Haleigh by surprise, but the teenager had been too distracted by her newborn to notice.

Desperate for a shower and a nap, Haleigh trekked down the hall, drawing up short at the doorway to the room before hers. Someone had set up a nursery. The furnishings were sparse, but appeared well cared for. A white bassinet trimmed with three layers of ruffles graced the left wall, while a changing table rested beneath the window. Bunnies and baby chicks frolicked across the curtains, anxiously awaiting the new child they were about to meet. The shelves of the changing table were filled with diapers, wipes, blankets, and even a pink bin of booties and bibs.

Abby had been at work all day, which meant only one person could have done this.

Cooper.

“How did he find all this stuff?” Haleigh asked aloud as she drifted toward the most appealing piece in the room—a cherrywood rocking chair. Heavy and finely carved, the rocker had clearly undergone a recent update with its polished gleam and bright, butter-yellow cushion. Thankfully, the restorer had resisted the urge to even out the faded areas along the arms, evidence of loving use over many years. Solid and welcoming, the chair all but oozed motherly love.

The man was a force to be reckoned with. A virtual paragon of his gender. And then a stray thought crept in.

Would he have done the same for my baby thirteen years ago?

The question cut like a scalpel to the throat, and Haleigh backed out of the room as if the curtains had burst into flames. Sure, Cooper had offered to marry her, but they both knew that had been no more than misplaced chivalry. Neither of them had been prepared to be a parent. And the baby hadn’t even been his to begin with, which had made the suggestion all the more ridiculous.

Darting from the room, Haleigh sought an escape. A long drive would settle her mind. So would a good stiff drink. Smacking the wall, she took a deep breath and corrected that thought. She did not need a drink, regardless of the urge gnawing at her gut. An uncomfortable memory wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. She’d sure as heck handled worse in the past.

Purse and keys still in hand, Haleigh rushed through the house and out the front door only to run headlong into Cooper’s chest.



Cooper struggled to keep both Haleigh and the infant-filled car seat in his left hand from hitting the ground.